title: Mechanistic aspects of dinitrogen cleavage and hydrogenation to produce ammonia in catalysis and organometallic chemistry: relevance of metal hydride bonds and dihydrogen.
abstract: Dinitrogen cleavage and hydrogenation by transition-metal centers to produce ammonia is central in industry and in Nature. After an introductory section on the thermodynamic and kinetic challenges linked to N2 splitting, this tutorial review discusses three major classes of transition-metal systems (homogeneous, heterogeneous and biological) capable of achieving dissociation and hydrogenation of dinitrogen. Molecular complexes, solid-state Haber-Bosch catalytic systems, silica-supported tantalum hydrides and nitrogenase will be discussed. Emphasis is focused on the reaction mechanisms operating in the process of dissociation and hydrogenation of dinitrogen, and in particular on the key role played by metal hydride bonds and by dihydrogen in such reactions.
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, Institut de Chimie de Lyon, CPE Lyon, CNRS, Université de Lyon 1, UMR 5265 C2P2, LCOMS, Bâtiment 308 F, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F-69616, Villeurbanne Cedex, France. quadrelli@cpe.fr.
authors.forename: Hong-Peng
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Elsje Alessandra
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Quadrelli